Apple iPad Mini Event: 3 Most Important Takeaways

The iPad Mini wasn't the only major takeaway from Apple's product launch this week.

Though not part of the presentation, various Web sites reported that Apple will be replacing third-gen iPads bought in the past 30 days with this new version, as the device will be discontinued. Pricing for the fourth-gen iPad is the same, starting at $499 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi version, and $629 for the LTE 16 GB version.

The third major takeaway from the event was not a product, but rather an announcement, which some may see as a disappointment. CEO Tim Cook noted that Apple has sold over 100 million iPads since the product was introduced in 2010. This implies that Apple sold just 16 million iPads in its fiscal fourth-quarter, which ended Sept. 30. Apple reports fourth-quarter earnings tomorrow, which TheStreet will be covering live.

If it's true that Apple sold only 16 million iPads, this would be a slowdown from the third-quarter, when it sold 17 million of the tablts. It will be worth watching and listening to see if there are any hiccups in the tablet market.